The Hands
off Venezuela campaign was established in Austria following the international appeal
made in December 2002. We started our work with the distribution of the
international appeal and the collection of signatures in defence of the
Venezuelan revolution.

The main
force behind the campaign at this time was Der Funke. From the very
beginning we directed the campaign towards the labour movement, in particular
towards the Young Socialists (YS) and shop stewards. We have used conferences,
district meetings and branches to move resolutions, distribute leaflets and
hold public discussions in order to spread awareness of the developments in Venezuela and in the labour movement. At the
last national conference of the YS in October 2004 HoV supporters submitted a
resolution calling for the expulsion of counterrevolutionary organisations from
the IUSY (the International Union of Socialist Youth). This resolution created
a heated debate and received the support of many delegates.

In January
2004 the campaign organised a speaking tour with Hermann Albrecht, a trade
union activist from Venezuela. During the recall referendum we
showed our support for the revolutionary process by holding a rally in front of
the Venezuelan embassy in Vienna and explained our perspectives for
the Venezuelan revolution: “Hands off Venezuela – forward to socialism”. Just two
months later the campaign, which had in the meantime established a close
relationship with the Bolivarian Circle of Vienna, successfully thwarted an
esqualido (a term used to describe the opposition in Venezuela) meeting by
picketing the venue. The notorious ProVeO (Pro Venezuela Organization) tried to
use the prestigious “Latin American Institute” to promote their anti-democratic
positions in Austria. This was the first and last public
meeting of the so-called “opposition” to be held in Austria, and was a big success for the
international campaign.

At the
Austrian Social Forum (ASF) in Linz in June 2004, the HoV campaign held
a joint meeting together with the Communist Party of Austria. Despite the fact
that Oskar Lafontaine was speaking at the same time, more than 40 people came
to the meeting, making it one of the biggest single-issue meetings at the forum.
The campaign then also took part in the organisation of the World Youth
Festival to be held this August in Venezuela.

Through all these activities and
through the inspiring example of the Venezuelan Revolution itself, we were able
to build and involve other political forces in the campaign. A meeting was held
last weekend with several people representing different organisations, currents
and campaigns in order to discuss the perspectives of the revolution in Latin America and the basis for
a joint effort to spread awareness of what is happening in Venezuela.

Several organizations were represented
including: the YS Vienna and several district organisations of the YS, the
youth organisation of the Trade Union of Private Employees, the Austrian-Cuban
Friendship-Association, Energy for Cuba, the
Bolivarian Circle and the Marxist tendency Der Funke. Jorge Martin,
international secretary of the Hands off Venezuela
campaign, was the special guest and gave those present an insight into the
history, development, principles, and successes of the campaign.

Despite differing angles, stresses and
perspectives, all participants agreed on the basic idea of establishing a
campaign to defend the Venezuelan and Cuban revolutions.

The meeting passed a joint resolution.
The campaign agreed on three main objectives for the work of the campaign in Austria:

a)
To struggle against imperialist
manoeuvres and aggression against the Venezuelan and Cuban Revolutions.

b)
The establishment of direct
contact and links between the Austrian and Venezuelan trade union movements in
order to facilitate the work in favour of the recognition of the UNT in the
Austrian and international labour movement.

c)
To participate, on the
principles of anti-imperialism and working-class solidarity, in the alternative
summit to be held parallel to the summit of European Union and Latin American
heads of state in Vienna in May 2006.

The next step for the campaign will be
to establish a jointly managed www.haendewegvonvenezuela.org
website which should be online sometime in July. All the organisations,
currents and campaigns that agree to the basic resolution of the campaign will
have access to the website to publish material on Venezuela
and Cuba. There will also be discussion forums on the website. A special
section will also be maintained in order to keep a close eye on corporate media
reports on Venezuela.

Although all the ideas could not be
discussed in depth at the plenary discussion due to a lack of time, all
participants felt that the most difficult first step had been taken and that
many more things would be undertaken by the “Hands off Venezuela”
campaign in Austria.

Workshop discussing the set-up of the campaign

As a final remark we would like to
highlight a contribution made by a shop steward who was present at the meeting.
Just a few weeks ago a delegate to the national conference of the ÖGJ (Trade
Union Youth of Austria) raised the example of Venepal, the CNV and workers’
control of industry in Venezuela in general in the debate about the nationalisation of key
industries. These examples helped the young trade unionists to sharpen their
position on this vital issue. The ÖGJ now demands the complete nationalisation
of Austrian industry under workers’ control.

This graphically shows that the
revolution in Venezuela and Latin America is an inspiration to the most advanced layers of the working class
in Europe. The experience of our comrades in Venezuela
will help to sharpen their ideas, methods and programmes in order to fight
capitalism in imperialist countries.

The Hands
off Venezuela campaign was established in Austria following the international appeal
made in December 2002. We started our work with the distribution of the
international appeal and the collection of signatures in defence of the
Venezuelan revolution.

The main
force behind the campaign at this time was Der Funke. From the very
beginning we directed the campaign towards the labour movement, in particular
towards the Young Socialists (YS) and shop stewards. We have used conferences,
district meetings and branches to move resolutions, distribute leaflets and
hold public discussions in order to spread awareness of the developments in Venezuela and in the labour movement. At the
last national conference of the YS in October 2004 HoV supporters submitted a
resolution calling for the expulsion of counterrevolutionary organisations from
the IUSY (the International Union of Socialist Youth). This resolution created
a heated debate and received the support of many delegates.

In January
2004 the campaign organised a speaking tour with Hermann Albrecht, a trade
union activist from Venezuela. During the recall referendum we
showed our support for the revolutionary process by holding a rally in front of
the Venezuelan embassy in Vienna and explained our perspectives for
the Venezuelan revolution: “Hands off Venezuela – forward to socialism”. Just two
months later the campaign, which had in the meantime established a close
relationship with the Bolivarian Circle of Vienna, successfully thwarted an
esqualido (a term used to describe the opposition in Venezuela) meeting by
picketing the venue. The notorious ProVeO (Pro Venezuela Organization) tried to
use the prestigious “Latin American Institute” to promote their anti-democratic
positions in Austria. This was the first and last public
meeting of the so-called “opposition” to be held in Austria, and was a big success for the
international campaign.

At the
Austrian Social Forum (ASF) in Linz in June 2004, the HoV campaign held
a joint meeting together with the Communist Party of Austria. Despite the fact
that Oskar Lafontaine was speaking at the same time, more than 40 people came
to the meeting, making it one of the biggest single-issue meetings at the forum.
The campaign then also took part in the organisation of the World Youth
Festival to be held this August in Venezuela.

Through all these activities and
through the inspiring example of the Venezuelan Revolution itself, we were able
to build and involve other political forces in the campaign. A meeting was held
last weekend with several people representing different organisations, currents
and campaigns in order to discuss the perspectives of the revolution in Latin America and the basis for
a joint effort to spread awareness of what is happening in Venezuela.

Several organizations were represented
including: the YS Vienna and several district organisations of the YS, the
youth organisation of the Trade Union of Private Employees, the Austrian-Cuban
Friendship-Association, Energy for Cuba, the
Bolivarian Circle and the Marxist tendency Der Funke. Jorge Martin,
international secretary of the Hands off Venezuela
campaign, was the special guest and gave those present an insight into the
history, development, principles, and successes of the campaign.

Despite differing angles, stresses and
perspectives, all participants agreed on the basic idea of establishing a
campaign to defend the Venezuelan and Cuban revolutions.

The meeting passed a joint resolution.
The campaign agreed on three main objectives for the work of the campaign in Austria:

a)
To struggle against imperialist
manoeuvres and aggression against the Venezuelan and Cuban Revolutions.

b)
The establishment of direct
contact and links between the Austrian and Venezuelan trade union movements in
order to facilitate the work in favour of the recognition of the UNT in the
Austrian and international labour movement.

c)
To participate, on the
principles of anti-imperialism and working-class solidarity, in the alternative
summit to be held parallel to the summit of European Union and Latin American
heads of state in Vienna in May 2006.

The next step for the campaign will be
to establish a jointly managed www.haendewegvonvenezuela.org
website which should be online sometime in July. All the organisations,
currents and campaigns that agree to the basic resolution of the campaign will
have access to the website to publish material on Venezuela
and Cuba. There will also be discussion forums on the website. A special
section will also be maintained in order to keep a close eye on corporate media
reports on Venezuela.

Although all the ideas could not be
discussed in depth at the plenary discussion due to a lack of time, all
participants felt that the most difficult first step had been taken and that
many more things would be undertaken by the “Hands off Venezuela”
campaign in Austria.

Workshop discussing the set-up of the campaign

As a final remark we would like to
highlight a contribution made by a shop steward who was present at the meeting.
Just a few weeks ago a delegate to the national conference of the ÖGJ (Trade
Union Youth of Austria) raised the example of Venepal, the CNV and workers’
control of industry in Venezuela in general in the debate about the nationalisation of key
industries. These examples helped the young trade unionists to sharpen their
position on this vital issue. The ÖGJ now demands the complete nationalisation
of Austrian industry under workers’ control.

This graphically shows that the
revolution in Venezuela and Latin America is an inspiration to the most advanced layers of the working class
in Europe. The experience of our comrades in Venezuela
will help to sharpen their ideas, methods and programmes in order to fight
capitalism in imperialist countries.